Evil finds a way
by axellon2008
Summary: The fourth ninja was never really ended for Naruto. He finds himself transported to a different world with minions that want him to become something he normally would never have considered. HIATUS


AN: I don't own Naruto, or Overlord

**x-x**

Chapter I: Where am I?

x-x

A pair of eyelids opened to reveal two blue eyes.

His eyes came into focus as he stared up at the night sky. 'Where I am?' he wondered and tried to remember. Those thoughts evaded him however and he attempted to get up, only to find that nearly his entire body was unresponsive. He couldn't feel most of his body and couldn't move his arms or legs.

Trying his hardest, he lifted his neck in order to look at himself and his eyes widened when he saw the blood covering his chest. His clothing was completely torn and blood was flowing freely from numerous wounds. It was at that moment that he realized how bad his situation was and why he couldn't move.

His breathing quickened as he became panicked. Many of his other senses started coming back to him. There was the taste of blood in his mouth and blood was most of what he could smell. He was cold and he wasn't sure why. 'How much blood have I lost? How did I even get these injuries?' he wondered but couldn't remember how or why he was injured.

Was he paralyzed and was that why he couldn't move? He had no real knowledge of medical jutsu and couldn't diagnose himself. There was no way to tell how bad the situation was. The only good side was that he couldn't feel any pain.

'How injured am I?'

That led to another question, "Where is everyone?" he wondered out loud and the voice that came out was raspy and did not sound like his own. Struggling, he found couldn't move his head to get a better view of his surroundings. What little he could see out of the corners of his eyes was just darkness and perhaps vague shadowed shapes. He guessed that perhaps he was lying on some dead grass in a clearing but that was just a guess.

These thoughts soon faded as another feeling took over everything else. It was fear. He was alone and possibly dying. His breathing rate increased until he was near hyperventilating and he started calling for help.

x-x

'Someone will be here soon.' he tried to convince himself but he couldn't hide his fear of the situation. He didn't even know how much time had passed.

He was alone. Completely alone.

He hated loneliness but now that was all he had.

Seeing as he could do nothing and his body didn't seem to be healing, he had gone into sage mode multiple times. He couldn't move so it was quite easy to do and his fear and panic were reduced while he was channeling natural energy and mixing it with his chakra to create sage chakra.

He only managed to gather and mix a small amount of natural energy but it was enough to enter sage mode which, he hoped, would strengthen his body enough that the wounds he had wouldn't matter and he could prolong his life until someone found him.

To escape the loneliness he began meditating for long periods while in sage mode. It was difficult not to fall asleep because he was feeling incredibly tired. He knew enough not to let himself fall asleep. He may not wake back up.

'Kyuubi' he thought and began trying to reach for the energy that he had removed from the Kyuubi after he had defeated it. Nothing happened.

'I must have used it up.' he realized and decided he needed to go into the seal and get more. Though he couldn't remember much, the fighting must have been incredibly draining if he used up all the chakra that he had taken from the Kyuubi. The large ball of it that he removed did not regenerate, so he only had a finite amount that he had been using and once it was gone, he had to get more from the source.

Channeling that energy might be able to speed up his healing process as the Kyuubi's chakra had always been able to heal him in the past. Closing his eyes again, he entered the seal.

x-x

He found himself in a hallway that was similar to what he remembered but there were differences. The corridors were cracking and pieces were falling from the cracks on the walls and ceiling. The floor used to have almost a foot of water but now it was just scattered puddles.

Trying to walk forward to get to the seal, Naruto nearly collapsed and had to use the wall to brace himself. The body he had in his mindscape didn't appear to be damaged at all but he felt incredibly weak. He went into sage mode but he still felt weak and could barely walk.

Looking up, he heard sounds coming from ahead of him. It sounded like a dull thudding sound. The sound was only broken by a brief silence before it repeated again and again. Almost like someone was hammering.

Using the wall, he stumbled to where he knew the seal to be and became more and more worried as the sound seemed to be getting louder. He rushed as fast as he could and eventually made it to the entrance to the seal. He decided against entering until he could determine what the situation and sounds were.

Sliding down the wall, he sat at the side of the entrance and tilted his head into the entryway to peer into the room where the Kyuubi was sealed. 'No...' he thought as his eyes widened at what he saw.

The gate that kept the Kyuubi inside was cracked in several places. Beyond that he could see that the Kyuubi was still trapped under the Torii gates but it had apparently managed to get two of its tails loose from the confining gates. One tail was continuously smacking into one of the gates that was holding down its midsection. The other tail was wrapped around a gate that held down one of its other tails and trying to remove the gate to free a third tail.

The Kyuubi growled in frustration as it kept up the assault on the Torii gates. The gate it was smashing against appeared to have a few cracks in the area it had been attacking it. Naruto stopped peering into the room so that he wasn't seen and sat with his back against the wall outside the seal room.

'What do I do?' he questioned himself as he sat against the wall of the crumbling corridor. His mind was unable to come up with a very good answer.

He was too weak to remove more of the Kyuubi's chakra and separate the malicious intent from the chakra. Even if the Kyuubi was distracted, he would still have to make it past the gate, into the actual seal, and then take a portion of the chakra.

It didn't seem possible to remove more of the chakra and now he had to deal with the knowledge that even his seal was damaged and the Kyuubi was trying to break out.

x-x

An unknown amount of time later

x-x

'No one's coming.' he thought and continued to stare at the sky. His eyes no longer had the determination that they used to. He had no idea how long he was in his current state or how much time had passed. His chakra didn't seem to be returning and he had no idea why. He felt just about as weak and helpless as he had when it all started. It was taking its toll and his once inexhaustible optimism was starting to shatter.

He had yet to see the sun as the days had all been dark and cloudy. In fact he had not even noticed a difference between night and day. Only on a few occasions had he seen the night sky. Now the clouds obscured what stars there were, however that wasn't the real problem. Of the night sky that he had seen, he didn't recognize a single thing. No constellations were familiar. There were no identifying stars that he had used in the past to help him navigate on missions.

It was as if the entire night sky was completely foreign. He thought it had just been the one night sky or perhaps he had been seeing things but that didn't seem to be the case. Nothing was familiar. The more he managed to figure out about his current condition, the more hopeless it all seemed. He was on his own and everything seemed to be coming undone. He seemed to be coming undone.

All he could feel was a cold numbness and perhaps a dull pain that would come and go. Perhaps he was just in shock but he really had no idea what was wrong with him. Usually when he had injuries he was fine the next morning or at least was feeling better. It felt like days had past and he didn't seem to be getting any better.

He lost count of how many times he had meditated and how many times he had gone into sage mode. Unfortunately, he had such a little amount of chakra that sage mode didn't last long and it left him feeling even more tired and weak. He had kept at it originally but was there a point anymore?

The seal was breaking and he didn't have the strength to fight the Kyuubi in his condition. Sage mode wouldn't help him if his body still wasn't healed enough to even properly stand in his mindscape.

It was bothering him that his body didn't seem to be feeling any better but he still had no idea what had happened to him. In all the time since he opened his eyes, no further memories had returned to him. The last thing he remembered was fighting with a revived Nagato and Itachi. After that all he could remember was opening his eyes to the unfamiliar night sky.

x-x

"I don't want to die." Naruto confessed to the rain as it pelted onto his face and everything around him. He still looked up to the rain clouds but his eyes were were watery and unfocused. The the once bright blue was rather dull. It had been raining for quite some time but that was fine, the rain hid the tears that he once swore he would never cry again.

His condition still hadn't improved. In fact, he thought it was getting worse. Lightning flashed across the sky but he payed it no mind. Whatever was wrong with him, it just wasn't getting any better.

It was agonizing not being able to move most of his body. He spent most of his life moving or not being able to sit still. Even during his sleep, he usually ended up on the floor by morning removing all the sheets and covers from his bed because he kept moving around during his sleep. Yet, for an unknown amount of time, he had been unable to move at all.

Was he just holding on to life just for the sake of holding on? Was his body just too far gone for his healing factor to do anything and help him recover? What was really keeping him there and making him try to stay awake or stay alive. No one was coming, his body was injured possibly beyond repair, he was likely dying, the Kyuubi was trying to break free, whatever battle there was he had obviously lost, and the only company he had since waking up was just the sound of the rain falling that just recently started.

He had been afraid of many things in his life. Ghosts. A ramen shortage. Ichiraku's closing. He even had nightmares about that one, however he had never really been afraid of death. Only on one occasion had he really been afraid to die and that was the first time he faced a real opponent. Team Seven had encountered the demon brothers on their way to Wave Country. When they attacked, he was afraid but made a promise that he would never run again. Even when Zabuza attacked them, he didn't go back on that promise. In fact, against most of his opposition in life, he had been rather fearless in the face of death.

What he felt right now was that same fear. He didn't want to die and he was afraid of dying. Things had just been going right in Konoha. His dream had been getting closer, he had friends, he finally mastered the Kyuubi, he might be able to get Sasuke back, and so much more. However everything on that list was now falling out of reach. The only thing he had left was his life, which was slowly fading.

Yes. That was it. He was holding on because he didn't want to die and lose the last thing he had left. He was afraid and scared of death. The last strength and determination he had was for holding on. His life began as a struggle for survival and holding on. Overcoming an entire village that was against him and reaching a dream. Now everything else was gone and all he had left was what he started with.

He wanted to run though. He wanted to run away from the death he knew was approaching but just like that time with the demon brothers, he was frozen and couldn't move. He promised himself he wouldn't run away from anything anymore but in those moments, more than anything, he wanted to run away from death. He wanted to break that promise and run as far away from death as he could. He wanted to give up and for it all to end, but he didn't want to die. It was torture for him.

x-x

The old gray minion sighed as he looked out the dirty window with his yellow eyes. The rain had stopped a few hours ago and washed the last of the snow away. Historically he enjoyed gloomy days but there was nothing to enjoy, and there hadn't been for some time.

The Overlord was dead. The Netherworld Tower was destroyed. In fact, just about everything was gone. Only himself, the Minion Master, and a handful or two of minions remained. The tower objects and even the hives were gone.

He had dealt with setbacks before but nothing on this scale. Even when the Dark Tower was destroyed, they still had the Netherworld Tower. Now there was nothing left. He had a few items that they had salvaged from the collapsed tower. However, it wasn't anywhere near enough to create a new Overlord or do anything that was really evil.

Though he had an old Overlord gauntlet, just putting it on another person wasn't going to solve the problem. The Tower Heart and the Netherworld Tower were specifically designed to gather, store, and release dark energy, magical energy, and lifeforce. They gave the Overlord his abilities and grew in power as the Overlord did. Without them the gauntlet was barely more than a normal gauntlet. A person wearing it could only store a small amount of power in it and it may not even grant them the use of any of the Overlord's abilities or even control over the minions.

Despite almost two decades passing since the death of the Overlord, he had been lost on what to do next. There had been an entire crusade that destroyed everything related to the Overlord. The gates were gone. It was all gone. Without any infrastructure or power, how could he create the next Overlord?

'Of course I would have to find a candidate for Overlord first.' Gnarl acknowledged as not just any person would do and even if he could find that person it would take an evil miracle to bring back the Overlord.

Sighing, Gnarl reached for a glass and then pulled out a bottle of a vile brew. He was about to pour but decided against it. Tossing the glass over his shoulder, it shattered on the wooden floor and he drank straight from the bottle. He always used to say that evil would find a way but it was becoming apparent that the statement may no longer be true.

'Perhaps another evil will find a way but it seems that the chapters of the reign of Overlord are over. I suppose I'll have to retire and write my evil memoirs or something equally stupid.' he thought and took another swig from the bottle.

His thoughts were interrupted by the low howling and scratching on the door of the large and abandoned halfling home they were occupying. Gnarl stopped his drinking and inner monolgue as he went to investigate. He knew that it was likely one of the wolf mounts but he had a bad feeling about what the dog was there to tell them.

In addition to the minions, he also had a few wolf mounts for the browns. The dogs were given instructions to periodically search the surrounding area for anyone that could pose a threat. If they found someone then they were to report back. Their senses and instincts were good enough to keep them out of trouble when they found something. It was possible that the dog was reporting about another mutated creature that had foolishly wandered into the magical ooze that covered the areas of the wasteland.

They were in the very outskirts of Mellow Hills which had been consumed by the edge of the wasteland, or at least the border of the wasteland. The magical ooze that was present from the Great Cataclysim did wonders to ward off anyone that might be looking for them but it also posed a danger for them in the form of magically mutated creatures. The last thing he needed was another battle with those undirected and dangerous beasts.

Gnarl shuffled to the door and opened it to find one of the wolf mounts. He called Gubbin, one of the brown minions, in order to speak with the animal and determine what the threat was. Even after all the time he had known Gubbin he still thought of the Brown as a useless sack of pus but that same minion could also communicate with the wolf mounts better than any of the remaining Browns. Even he, the minion master, couldn't communicate with the mounts better than Gubbin.

Gnarl was only able to catch bits and pieces of the conversation between the wolf and the minion. He could tell that the wolf had found something but what that something was he had no idea. The Brown minion concluded the conversation with a laugh and then jumped on the wolf to ride it.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Gnarl demanded of the minion and mount as they set a fast pace away from the halfling home.

"Come. Come." was all that the minion said and Gnarl gnashed his teeth at the lack of proper information. He had to decide whether to risk losing Gubbin or to take the other minions and go after the Brown.

As much as he wanted to lose Gubbin or for an 'accident' to occur and take the minions life, he didn't want to lose the wolf and so he gathered the minions to him to go and inspect what the wolf had found.

x-x

'Damn you, Sasuke! You stupid fool!' thought an angry Madara as he laid in a bed with bandages covering most of his body. His breathing was labored and his fever was high from infection and exposure. He couldn't even move from his bed because of chakra exhaustion and all of the new chakra his body was producing was going towards healing his injured body.

He had spent several days trudging aimlessly through the snow trying to stave off death before he collapsed. At some point he was eventually found by some villagers that were out hunting and brought back to their village.

He wasn't sure exactly where he was but knew that it was some kind of place of healing. The people spoke a different language than he had ever heard before but with his sharingan he was able to get the medical attention he needed for free. However, he hadn't counted on the healer being so much less than a medical-nin. The man used healing herbs and other things but apparently lacked any medical jutsu or any other healing techniques. Even more so, everyone he had seen with his sharingan apparently lacked chakra and a chakra network.

It was a very strange turn of events and this had worried him at the time but he had other things to consider and think about now. He needed to determine what he was going to do next, now that he was somewhat lucid. His mind went through all the information he had about his situation in order to come up with some kind of plan once he recovered enough to leave.

Despite the new eyes, Sasuke had still lost to Naruto. It also wasn't exactly the destined fight between Uchiha and Senju that he hoped it would be. Sasuke apparently hadn't learned anything from his previous fights and used the Eternal Mangekyo as much as he could. 'That idiot didn't even try to fight with anything other than the powers of the Mangekyo.'

Naruto was able to dodge and overcome everything Sasuke had, so the fight was consequently much shorter than he had wanted it to be. He didn't try to interfere though he wished Sasuke hadn't been so foolish. The overuse caused Sasuke to run out of chakra relatively fast and being that Naruto had so much, the outcome was rather obvious. Naruto triumphed and then the fight between Naruto and him had taken place.

He was trying to take the Kyuubi and Naruto was trying to stop him from taking the elemental countries. He did thoroughly enjoy the that fight. Despite knowing so few ninjutsu and being only moderately trained, the boy had proven an incredibly clever and adaptable opponent. With the help of the ninja alliance, Naruto had fought him directly while the ninja alliance dealt with his six paths and the remainder of Kabuto's kinjutsu ninja.

However the boy could only hold out so long. With so many consecutive fights, Naruto ran out of all his chakra, including the stores he had taken from the Kyuubi. He wasn't disappointed though. The Senju gave it his all and fought far past his limit. Near the end he thought the boy would simply drop dead from expending all of his chakra.

As he stood above the boy, waiting to see if he could stand one last time and continue fighting, something happened he hadn't counted on.

Sasuke used what little chakra he had left and performed one of the unique techniques of the Mangekyo sharingan. It was the same technique that the copy ninja Kakashi use not long before. He underestimated how powerful the boy's sharingan was and how much hatred Sasuke had. Evidently Sasuke somehow was able to use the technique after only seeing it once but it was far from mastered. The jutsu created a collapsing barrier that tore apart and sucked in everything around it. Sasuke targeted Naruto's stomach, exactly where the seal was.

Not every Mangekyo could use the three techniques that had become synonymous with it. Some used different techniques or had strengths with one technique and not with others. His brother Izuna was never able to use Susanoo at all and he himself had mastered all three while even working on discovering others.

Though his own clan history recorded him as being the one of the first to discover the Mangekyo, this was not true. Though he did claim it as being true. His ancestors had learned about it before his time and many had used it before him, but it was forbidden. However that did not stop the two Uchiha brothers.

The fact that not all Mangekyo could perform the same techniques was the main reason he started stockpiling eyes. Some Uchiha even discovered interesting techniques that could be performed with just the normal sharingan and he had collected the eyes for himself. If he ever needed a spare or replacement, then he had many to choose from. However not all were properly trained.

The technique that Sasuke used was therefore not new to him and had gone by several names that he had heard about. The only thing he didn't know was where the technique sent whatever was pulled into it. No one had ever heard or come across the items, people, and limbs that had been sealed by the technique and this was because it sealed them into another dimension.

'Another dimension that I am likely in right now.' he thought and sneered at the memory.

Sasuke's technique had opened right on Uzumaki and began expanding to completely pull the boy inside. He was about to stop Sasuke and force the boy to close the technique when something else happened that he hadn't counted on.

Naruto apparently had small amount of chakra left. Possibly the boy had been playing possum in order to lure him close. Naruto used the last of the Kyuubi's chakra to form a chakra arm that reached out from the technique and grabbed him.

He was caught by surprise and completely unprepared. He dispelled his intangibility technique when he thought his fight with Naruto was over and his victory secured. With Naruto holding him in his tangible form, he was pulled into the technique and unable to use his space-time ninjutsu to get out of it. He attempted to overcome it and escape but that only made things worse as his body was nearly torn apart by the even horizon of the technique. Had Naruto not been holding onto him, he would have escaped.

Unlike Kakashi, Sasuke had no control over the technique and the jutsu kept expanding. Eventually Naruto pulled him in far enough to physically grab him and hold him in the center of the jutsu. After that he wasn't sure what happened, where they went, where he was, or how much time had passed.

He remembered the boy's words as he was grabbed with likely the last ounce of strength Naruto had left, "I'll protect them all."

'Just how many times can one boy hinder my plans. It's as if he was born specifically to undermine my plans. I still don't even understand how he managed to turn Nagato against me.' he thought with a frown but also with grudging respect. His plan had been in the making for years and the only major setbacks he had were with that one boy.

With his new change of scenery, he currently did not have a way to get back. He may have been more knowledgeable and skilled with the Mangekyo sharingan than any other person but his current sharingan did not have the technique needed to send him back. The sharingan he had was trained specifically for the space-time and dimensional ninjutsu that he used with it.

Also, even if he had the technique, he had no idea if using it again could send him back to where he wanted to go. It merely sent a person to another dimension. There was no guarantee it would send him back to the dimension with the Elemental Countries. It was obvious now that different dimensions did exist and he could be sent back or to another dimension that was completely different.

That wasn't going to be easy to work around. In time, he might be able to train his current sharingan to learn the technique but he would have to somehow test it first, and he did not possess a method to do that. How could he test a jutsu that seals something into another dimension? He couldn't very well use himself and a shadow clone might not survive the technique.

He had none of his White Zetsu troops either and was now completely alone. He alone was all that was left of Akatsuki.

'When I regain my chakra, I'll have to try and summon the Gedo Mazo statue here in order to keep it safe.' he reminded himself. He was unsure that a summoning would work but given that the statue was not a summoning animal and it was a unique object that was attached to him, it was still possible that he could summon it from his old dimension and into the new one. Summoning something that was living was different from summoning an inanimate object, or as close to inanimate as that particular statue could be. If he could summon it, he would also need a place to hide it but it would also give him resources and power that he might need.

Looking for the Kyuubi container was also another priority. They were separated during the technique but it was likely that somewhere in the dimension, Uzumaki Naruto was also still alive as well. He couldn't feel the boy using his space-time technique but he only needed the Kyuubi and even if the boy had died, his pet would be released and reform. Then he could put it under his control again.

However, even if he had the Kyuubi under his control, the Eight Tails still needed to be sealed into the statue first and the Kyuubi sealed last. The order was imperative or else the statue would be destroyed. He also had to seal the Kyuubi's chakra that was present in the Gold and Silver Brothers in order to complete the Juubi. He cursed at his situation and the fact that key elements he needed were in another dimension and at the present, unreachable.

'This is just a setback. My plan will be completed and I will be the Jinchuuriki of the Juubi. I only need to rest and recover.' he concluded as he let himself fall asleep. Despite the damage he knew his unique body would recover. He would be back on his feet in a few days time and then he had a lot of work to do. There was still a chance that everything would go his way.

x-x

Gnarl moved as fast as he could through the rocky and wet terrain as he and followed the other minions to where the wolf was leading them. He wasn't in the best physical condition and hadn't had to run in years and before that, centuries.

'Stupid Gubbin! I should be the one riding the wolf!' he thought and huffed as he watched out for the jagged rocks and any possible threats. They were taking an awful risk leaving their hiding spot and it had better be worth it. Gubbin's future well-being depending on it.

As they entered a clearing, Gnarl noted that they were closer to Mellow Hills and farther away from where he felt was safe in the outer fringes of the Wastelands. Looking at the center of the clearing, he noted the figure lying there.

The minions moved towards the seemingly dead figure and crowded around so much that Gnarl had to push his way through in order to properly see. Once he was through, he stared at a blonde haired boy covered with blood. The shredded clothing was quite odd to him as he had never seen something in that style before.

His first thought was that the boy was dead but he quickly noticed the motions of the chest rising and falling. 'He's still alive?' he realized and moved to check the body. The face was deathly pale but he could still get a faint and erratic pulse. The boy seemed have a very high fever and be on the brink of death.

The wounds were hard to properly determine as the clothing was partially destroyed but he could tell that some of them were infected. He didn't recognize any of the clothing or the markings on the forehead item that the boy wore. It was all foreign and strange to him.

No one else seemed to have been in the area and he couldn't determine exactly how the boy had been injured. He thought it was likely a creature from the wastelands but there was no evidence of said creature or any battle, and it wouldn't just leave behind a dying person.

Going over the situation quickly in his head, he decided to take a chance. The minions seemed to be in favor of not leaving the body. The boy also didn't seem to be aligned with anyone against them and if he was in the Wastelands then he must be running from something. It couldn't hurt to have a human ally and there was still a good chance that the boy wouldn't survive anyway so he wasn't taking a big risk.

"Minions, bring the boy to the hideout and make sure you don't injure him along the way. Someone support his head, he could have a neck or back injury. Giblet! I said support his head not hold his head up by his hair!" Gnarled barked as he jumped on the wolf and led the group back to their temporary hideout.

Marching back to the hideout, Gnarl was on full alert from his mount. He was suspicious of everything and though he had already determined it wasn't a trap, the body might attract unwanted attention and the last thing they needed was to encounter some mutated creature.

The first thing he would do when they returned was talk with Mortis. The minion would be able to tell if the boy would make it or not and help him tend to the wounds. He'd have to send out some minions for a few healing herbs in order to take care of the infection but he might be able to make a few potions to take care of it.

He could tell from the moment he saw the boy what he really was. He could smell the stench of self-sacrifice, compassion, chivalry, and selflessness radiating off the body. However he could also smell hopelessness, loneliness, doubt, sadness, and many other wonderful scents that told him the boy was likely a jaded hero or perhaps one that had lost his way.

From past experiences, he loathed heroes but had to acknowledge that some former heroes had made excellent Overlords. Usually there was a trigger that allowed for this to happen. Sometimes it was revenge, betrayal, greed, jealousy, loss of inheritance, a woman, but whatever it was, a hero could be turned to his side given the right conditions. He just needed to determine what may have happened to the boy and then he could turn him into a useful helper, if he survived. Otherwise the boy would be a meal for the wolves.

Glancing back, he took another look at the boy being carried by the minions. He couldn't put his claw on it but there was something 'different' about the boy and he wanted to know what it was. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but he was a minion master and would kill curiosity as well as make it rue the day it ever tried to come after him.

x-x

Naruto was placed on one of the abandoned beds in the former halfling home. Mortis quickly arrived and examined the boy. Mortis was one of the oldest minions that was in charge of spawning new minions and also bringing other minions back from the dead after they had been killed. He knew far more than Gnarl about death and Gnarl wanted an opinion before he put all his energy into trying to bring the boy back from the brink of death.

Pulling white bones out from beneath his cloak, the blue minion tossed the bones on the floor and consulted the runes that were marked into the bones. Gnarl had only seen this a few times but he knew not to underestimate Mortis or the blue minion's powers.

"Death may not take the boy, if you act quickly." Mortis said and that was enough for Gnarl. Even though he thought for sure the boy would die, he still trusted Mortis' judgment on the matter. There was a chance and he would take it.

Gnarl immediately shouted out orders to the other minions and they got to work. The only surviving red minion created a fire while two browns put a kettle filled with water over it to boil. Gnarl needed to sterilize whatever he used to bandage the wounds and he sent the other minions looking for anything that could be useful.

The halfling home was quite large and abandoned after the Great Cataclysm so, despite so many years passing, it still might have a few items he could use to save the boy's life. He already sent his fastest minions on the remaining mounts to try and steal or find the needed materials and ingredients he would need to help fight the infection and heal the wounds.

The minions managed to find a mortar and pestle as well as a few other items that would help him as soon as the other minions arrived with the herbs. He also had Mortis who was semi-skilled at healing. Blue minions could bring other minions back from the dead but the boy was not a minion nor dead. Mortis could do something for the wounds though.

Gnarl began be quickly cutting off the boys jacket and removing all the clothing on the torso to get a better look at the wound and infection. It seemed to begin near the bellybutton and spiraled outward across the entire chest. It was as if someone had carved him up in a spiraling fashion.

'Rather gruesome. I'll remember it for later.' he thought and noted evidence of advanced regeneration on most of the areas but there were still deep wounds. The healing intrigued him as humans certainly couldn't heal that fast from wounds. From what he could tell, it was possible that the wounds almost went through the entire body at one point and probably cut up the organs and perhaps even bones. It was even possible the boy's stomach had been little more than mince meat at one point.

Despite the blood-soaked clothing, the boy was still bleeding and his body still evidently producing blood which also surprised Gnarl but he pushed that information aside. Gnarl retrieved the Overlord's gauntlet and gave it to Mortis. The old piece of armor hadn't been used for quite some time but still had some power left in the yellow orb. Mortis could use the remaining lifeforce and mana in the orb to help heal some of the more grievous wounds and internal bleeding.

However, once the gauntlet was drained, he would have nothing left. Gnarl had been saving it more as a memento than as a useful item, so it wasn't a big loss. There certainly wasn't enough in the gauntlet to create a new Overlord. As Mortis started on the healing, a minion arrived with some of the items he asked.

Gnarl snatched the bundle of different herbs that the brown had gathered and sorted out the useless plants. 'Weed...weed...weed...herb, finally!' he thought and removed the others that were useful. After throwing the weeds in the face of the stupid minion that brought them, he went to the table with the mortar and pestle and began making a salve to put over the infection. He had an extensive knowledge of potions and salves though it had been quite some time since he needed to make use of that knowledge.

"Giblet, I need a hooked needle for stitching skin!" Gnarl barked out and the minion went to make one. Hopefully one of the other minions he sent to steal supplies would bring back the thread he asked for.

He just hoped that they wouldn't get caught or seen in the process. The last thing he needed were search parties and angry mobs coming after them again.

Please review

AN: This was really to get an idea out of my head so I could write it down and not have to worry about forgetting some of it. I'm not sure when or how often I will be able to update.


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